Rise and Shine is undoubtedly one of the best-looking games on the Switch. The animations, level design, and characters are nothing short of a feast for the eyes. While this is all well and good, the rest of the game never really finds its footing because of its brevity and lack of focus. If you’re planning on jumping into this adventure, be prepared for a game with elements of an action platformer, with bullet hell moments, that is constantly stifled by the need to be everything all at once.

If you buy Oh My Godheads, you will get an exciting local-multiplayer CTF game with a few tacked-on, lesser modes. There is not much to it outside of Capture the Head, and even that probably will not hold your attention for too long. Frankly, it is hard to recommend when party games like Ultimate Chicken Horse and Towerfall are available on Switch.

The Gardens Between is delightful, its soundtrack is beautiful and calming, its art style is pleasing, its characters are charming and expressive, and its story is touching and melancholic, and I found myself truly amazed by the consistently great level design. After initially thinking the time-warping mechanic would get dull after time, I was delighted to be proven wrong by The Voxel Agents, who kept reinventing themselves and providing clever new ways to solve puzzles to keep me on my toes, as well as having a perfect duration of the experience, and ending with a simple, beautiful, and touching moment I won’t forget for a long time.

I ended up getting sucked in surprisingly quickly, and I can see myself spending a lot more time trying to build up my city. It’s essentially a game you can keep playing forever, after all. If the framerate can be improved at all and gyro + touchscreen controls can be added, then this will make for a truly stellar port. Nevertheless, it’s still a surprise that Cities has been brought to Switch at all, and it’s managed to be competent enough to be worth a try.

Still, putting its minor issues aside, Marble It Up! has proven to be a fun little gem. Indeed, it is quite little in its current form, but if you enjoy 3D platformers, then this should still be up your alley nonetheless. But, seriously, don’t let us down on those level packs, Engine Company. If anything, charge them for a very small fee. After all, its asking price is already $20, and there are other indie games that include more content for less. Thus, Marble It Up! is a game that can definitely hang around for a while if additional content is easy to obtain.

The old-school gameplay will please fans, and the new mechanics will offer players (both old and new) a challenging experience. Despite having a repetitive story like the rest of the franchise, Mega Man 11 is everything I’ve wanted from the Blue Bomber and Capcom for the last few years.

Boot up TowerFall, and the ultra-intense matches will be an instant hit with your friends. Before you know it, it’ll be two in the morning and still nearly impossible to set the controller down. If you indulge in local multiplayer at all, this is one of the best games that your money can buy, indie or otherwise. TowerFall has always been an all-time great local multiplayer title–that has not changed on Switch.

Alwa’s Awakening is exactly what I had hoped I was in for when I booted up the title. The classy, evocative 8-bit design, the charming synthesized soundtrack, and the addictive gameplay all aggregate to form one hell of a gaming experience. These titles aren’t only for those yearning for a nostalgic trip. The cartoonish design and controls on a 2D plane were beckoning my young son to pick up the controller. The character of throwback, retro-inspired titles that were crafted with care, like Alwa’s Awakening, will always find an audience with those seeking an experience where gameplay is king.

Armello is a game that has a promising concept and a top-shelf presentation but falls far short of its potential. Despite its adept systems the game often proves a slow, monotonous affair that suffers from balancing issues. Tabletop enthusiasts and strategy game fans may glean some joy from this game. However, your time would still be better spent playing a myriad of other games that offer more entertainment than Armello.

Despite its shortcomings, Defunct is still a mostly enjoyable little game. Though, it’s hard to determine if it has any real lasting appeal. Given its short playtime, if you do go through the trouble of exploring every level to the absolute maximum, you may be able to squeeze a handful more hours out of it. But, there really isn’t much to come back to after that. I’d say this is a game better picked up on sale if it ever drops below the $10 mark. Defunct is a fun distraction, but it’s hard to consider it to be any more than that.

Ultimate Chicken Horse is very easily one of the best party games on Switch. It has a unique blend of creativity and platforming, it is widely accessible with intuitive, fluid controls, and it has loads of content and potential. There was one issue with the port job: Within a few hours of play, I had the game crash on me twice. However, outside of those rare instances, this is one of the most fun experiences on my Switch. If you play your Switch with friends, ever, then you need Ultimate Chicken Horse.

As far as platform fighters go, Retimed is a great effort. While a few different add-ons could have greatly expanded its shelf-life, I anticipate playing a few rounds here and there for months to come. Retimed is knocking on the door of being a special multiplayer game. It was a great outing for the developer, and I will be enjoying it while keeping an eye on what Team Maniax puts out in the future. In its current state, the core gameplay is fantastic, accessible, and competitive. I recommend Retimed to anyone looking to add something new to their couch multiplayer lineup, so long as they are okay with a content-light experience.

The Dust Switch port is great. Now that the sound bug present at launch has been taken care of, the game runs smoothly all around. Thanks to the plethora of side quests and shorter objectives, the game can be picked up for short bursts of play, meaning it fits perfectly on a portable, though it is still, of course, an engrossing experience that can eat up hours of your time. The game itself is a few years old now, but it holds up perfectly fine. If you have not played Dust: An Elysian Tale yet, or if you just feel like revisiting it, the Switch port is a perfect destination.

Simply put, Bastion is an indie masterwork. It fits right at home on the Nintendo Switch, being exactly the type of game suitable for mobile play. The gameplay’s simplistic nature makes it an easy game to hop in and out of on the go. And the optional challenges highlight the game’s thrilling and addictive combat, making it easy to come back to over and over again. My only regret is that I didn’t acknowledge this game sooner. Any gripes I might have towards Bastion seem nitpicky at this point. Seven years ago, Supergiant Games delivered a solid action RPG title. Now, it gets another chance to bask in the sun thanks to the Nintendo Switch.

Don’t expect a deep experience here, folks. What you will find is a rather expansive list of artists and songs paying homage to one of the best eras in gaming. I just could have used a little more refinement in its mechanics and the mixture of the additional levels outside the story to do something a little more spectacular during my main playthrough.

Despite its issues, NBA 2K19 is by far the best installment in the franchise’s history. No matter which team I play as, no matter the late-game situation, it does a tremendous job of pulling me in. Its presentation enriches me with tons of basketball info and insight, plus its gameplay makes me more anxious for the actual NBA season to start (in a good way). There are still improvements that can be made for next year’s game, but 2K Sports and Visual Concepts shows their dominance while also celebrating 20 years of NBA 2K basketball.

Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition is fantastic–one of the best games on Switch indie or otherwise. You are doing yourself a disservice by not playing it. A wonderfully unique and ensnaring world boasting beautiful sounds and imagery is complemented perfectly by the incredibly smooth combat. On top of the portability and smooth performance, the special edition tune-up offers some peripheral new content for returning players such as new items and outfits. Abylight should be commended for this marvelous porting job, and Heart Machine deserves all of the praise they have received for this magnificent game.

Depending on how quickly the player moves, this game can be completed in 4 or 5 hours. It is a title that might speak to fans of narrative-driven experiences. That’s not to say there is an entirely rich narrative here, but the mysteries surrounding the astronaut’s circumstances could drive one’s desire to progress. And the imaginative wonder that this journey’s final note ends with is poetic to a degree. The question is whether that is enough for you to invest here. Otherwise, platformer fans should look elsewhere to satiate their genre needs.

If not for light content and clunky online, Morphies Law would stand out on the Switch indie scene. Offline, the unique size-changing gameplay works very well and the available maps and modes are encouraging. The game will be much easier to recommend if online stability and more content are ever added via DLC in the future. In the meantime, though, if you have several Switch-owning friends who can get together for some download play, or if you just really want to run around with misshapen offline bots, then Morphies Law may be a worthy addition to your library.

The Messenger surpassed my expectations in its first two hours. Then it went on to become one of the most joyful, rewarding, and memorable gaming experiences I’ve ever had. To say developer Sabotage succeeded at making a great platformer is a huge understatement. The Messenger transcends the platformer genre and should be played by everyone, regardless if it’s their style of game.

I want to love Little Dragons Cafe, and up until a certain point in the game I did. But its buggy performance and overall shaky platforming hinder what could be an amazing game.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a game worth picking up if you have someone you can play with locally. The game is not only fun and fulfilling, but I genuinely think it improved communication between my partner and me. Although I wish the latter levels introduced new modules, the game still does a good job introducing new hazards and variations to keep adrenaline running until the end of the game. At 15 dollars, the game is well worth a purchase for a few nights of wonderful bomb disposal.

My first dive into the game left a really sour taste in my mouth. There was a broken AI system that simply did not allow me to get gold in any of the races in order to unlock the rest of the characters. Most of them are generic in design, minus a few interesting ones with special attacks. I was really hard on the game for having a broken system. Even with the patch, I still can’t shake what I initially had played. I was simply hoping for a more enjoyable experience. It feels more like something that you would find on Early Access or a concept, not a full-fledged release.

Zombie is a perfect fit for the Switch. It’s something that feels more fun to experience on the go instead of playing at home. The game is easy to pick up but can be difficult if you’re trying to get all three stars. While not great, it’s an enjoyable way to kill some time. It’s a nice palette cleanser from all of the AAA games on the market at the moment. If you’re into short experiences and casual games that you can have fun with a few minutes at a time, I, Zombie is worth checking out.

This is the quintessential video game for the Switch. People who travel often should buy Flat Heroes. If you like challenging gameplay, buy Flat Heroes. If playing with friends is your ideal way to experience a game, buy Flat Heroes. What I’m trying to say is that Flat Heroes is a game that all Switch owners should have in their library. It’s a fantastic experience that I will be playing for months to come.

Overcooked 2 is something of a perfect sequel. It takes what the original did well, cleans it up, and then adds a few new elements.

When you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, Slam Land is a local-only party game with a genuinely likable art style and a great concept. The audio is bouncy, fun, and accompanies the game’s overall feel. Other than that, it really doesn’t have much else going for it.

Robonauts is one of the most fun games I have ever played on the Switch. It is very accessible, vibrant, and great for gamers of all skill sets. Also, its character designs are really fascinating and, in some cases, adorable at the same time.